Perspectives on where our world is heading from a vantage point in Denver, Colorado.

28 May 2009

Locally Grown Anti-Gay Evil In Iraq

The latest story . . . involves two gay men being killed in Baghdad by Shia militias. . . . More than 30 such murders have occurred in the last 3 months. The excuse given is that these men are sexual deviants who are killed to restore honor of their families. . . .

"A prominent Iraqi human rights activist says that Iraqi militia have deployed a painful form of torture against homosexuals by closing their anuses using "Iranian gum." ... Yanar Mohammad told Alarabiya.net that, "Iraqi militias have deployed an unprecedented form of torture against homosexuals by using a very strong glue that will close their anus."

According to her, the new substance 'is known as the American hum, which is an Iranian-manufactured glue that if applied to the skin, sticks to it and can only be removed by surgery. After they glue the anuses of homosexuals, they give them a drink that causes diarrhea. Since the anus is closed, the diarrhea causes death. Videos of this form of torture are being distributed on mobile cellphones in Iraq.' According to this human rights activist, for the past 3 weeks a crackdown on homosexuals has been going on based on a religious decree that demands their death; dozens have been targeted. She says that the persecution of homosexuals is not confined to the Shiite clerics. Some Sunni leaders have also declared the death penalty for sodomy on satellite chanels."

From here (typos in original slighly corrected, links in original relocated and made to sources of the sources cited).

In theory, asylum is available in the U.S. for people who show up in the U.S. having faced this persecution. But, proving this in an immigration court and getting to the U.S. from Iraq are non-trivial matters.